MPLA due diligence

No wonder Azmar’s spokesman Don Farrell is attacking MPLA for attending the Concrete Symposium in Nevada where they could make industry contacts, and for visiting a pozzolan mine. While it is in the interests of the CNMI community that MPLA learn as much as possible about the value of the pozzolan and the facts and realities of pozzolan mining, it is also in the interests of Azmar for MPLA not to have this information.

Online and available for download are two documents that should be of interest to anyone who questions why MPLA would travel to Nevada to learn about the pozzolan industry:

1. Environmental Assessment – Silver Bells Pozzolan Mine Project (Nevada) http://www.chamorro.com/pagan/SilverBellsMine.pdf

This very recent assessment shows the location of two pozzolan mining sites in Nevada as well as the proposed area of the Silver Bells project. It is an excellent example of the kind of issues that we should be hearing about when mining Pagan is discussed. It also describes the use of the “cell” approach to minimize erosion and to ensure that reforestation occurs during the project to keep the environmental and visual impact at a minimum. Note also, that they use real scientists and industry experts to back their findings.

2. Environmental Assessment – Wayklo Pozzolan Mine Project (Nevada) http://www.chamorro.com//pagan/WaykloMine.pdf

This assessment is similar to Silver Bells project in its approach. In both cases a great deal of work went into researching the project site to come up with an appropriate operation plan based on facts, so that all the requirements of the various regulatory agencies could be met to allow the project to be approved.

In Nevada, a prospective mining company is required to do their homework in advance. They must put time, effort and money into preparing their case to show that they can comply with all the regulatory requirements before they are rewarded with the privilege of mining public lands. The same is true in the CNMI. However, since Azmar can’t possibly meet these requirements, they try to get around the rules through secret deals and political influence. Could it be that, by attacking MPLA in public on this issue, Don Farrell is working with Senator Adriano to discredit the MPLA board and set the stage for the board’s “removal for cause” by the Governor who supports Azmar and its Tinian contingent? How far will the Governor go to support the Tinian contingent’s get-rich-quick scheme? Isn’t it time that the Governor and Senator Adriano dropped the intimidation tactics, backed off, and let MPLA and the task force do their job?

Peter J. Pangelinan Perez
PaganWatch